A beautiful smile goes a long way! A smile expresses attractiveness, self-confidence, friendliness to others, and your happiness. A smile is also an investment in your oral health. Having straight teeth allows you to eat and brush better, which leads to a reduction in stains, cavities and gingivitis.
When it comes time to decide whether you should use braces or Invisalign to fix your teeth, many people find the options to be daunting. Here is some information about both that will help you decide which option is the best to fit for you and your lifestyle.
Braces are brackets and wires that are fixed to your teeth 24/7 in order to move and straighten your teeth. Invisalign are removable aligners.
With Invisalign, your teeth are scanned in 3D and a plan is made to move and correct the position of your teeth in stages. Those movements and stages are then fabricated into a series of custom-fitted trays, or aligners, that guide your teeth into the corrected positions. Because these trays are removable, you can take them off to eat, brush, floss and occasionally for important social events. Overall, you need to wear them an average of 22 hours a day for the programmed movements to take effect.
Traditional braces are made of stainless steel metal. If you prefer an aesthetic option for braces, ceramic braces are made up of clear tooth-color brackets that cut down on the amount of metal shown when you smile or speak.
If you don't want any kind of brackets glued onto the teeth, then Invisalign is an ideal option. The crystal clear trays blend in with your teeth well, making the aligners almost invisible when you're wearing them. If you don't want anyone to notice your braces while going through orthodontic treatment, you definitely want Invisalign.
There is a diet alteration requirement when wearing traditional braces. Overall, you can eat at least 95% of food. You want to stay away from a few hard and sticky foods, such as hard chips, nuts, gum and sticky candies, like taffy, Skittles and Starburst. Fruits, such as apples and pears, need to be cut up. Meat and fish need to be cut up.
Invisalign trays are removable, thus, you remove the trays to eat and drink. You also remove the trays to brush and floss. Since there are no brackets and wires attached to the teeth, there are no diet restrictions associated with hard and sticky foods.
Another reality of braces is that, occasionally, a bracket may come loose or a wire may shift and irritate the inside of your cheek. There are tricks to get around these issues and stay comfortable until your next visit where your orthodontist can fix the problem at the office. You will learn ways to handle these discomforts if they occur once you start treatment. At Care Orthodontics, we are available in the office every day to help take care of any orthodontic emergency for our patients. If you see someone else, you may want to check your orthodontist's availability and emergency policies before the need arises.
With Invisalign, you do not have issues with loose brackets and pokey wires, since you simply don't have them. For working adults who often travel out of town, busy parents who are constantly on the go or students who are away at college and occasionally come home, Invisalign treatment can be a good option since you have more flexibility to the numbers of adjustment and office visits.
Invisalign works well for some cases but not others. For complex problems that require orthopedic devices to be used in growing kids, braces are the appliance of choice. For surgical cases in adults, braces may be a better option.
If you're considering braces or Invisalign in the San Jose area, schedule a complimentary consultation appointment at Care Orthodontics. Dr. Nancy Phan can advise you as to what will work best for your situation. Dr. Phan can treat most patients with braces or Invisalign. Weigh the pros and cons of your options, then decide which treatment option is best suited for your life.
When it comes time to decide whether you should use braces or Invisalign to fix your teeth, many people find the options to be daunting. Here is some information about both that will help you decide which option is the best to fit for you and your lifestyle.
How are braces and Invisalign different?
Braces are brackets and wires that are fixed to your teeth 24/7 in order to move and straighten your teeth. Invisalign are removable aligners.
With Invisalign, your teeth are scanned in 3D and a plan is made to move and correct the position of your teeth in stages. Those movements and stages are then fabricated into a series of custom-fitted trays, or aligners, that guide your teeth into the corrected positions. Because these trays are removable, you can take them off to eat, brush, floss and occasionally for important social events. Overall, you need to wear them an average of 22 hours a day for the programmed movements to take effect.
Aesthetics
Traditional braces are made of stainless steel metal. If you prefer an aesthetic option for braces, ceramic braces are made up of clear tooth-color brackets that cut down on the amount of metal shown when you smile or speak.
If you don't want any kind of brackets glued onto the teeth, then Invisalign is an ideal option. The crystal clear trays blend in with your teeth well, making the aligners almost invisible when you're wearing them. If you don't want anyone to notice your braces while going through orthodontic treatment, you definitely want Invisalign.
Eating and Drinking
There is a diet alteration requirement when wearing traditional braces. Overall, you can eat at least 95% of food. You want to stay away from a few hard and sticky foods, such as hard chips, nuts, gum and sticky candies, like taffy, Skittles and Starburst. Fruits, such as apples and pears, need to be cut up. Meat and fish need to be cut up.
Invisalign trays are removable, thus, you remove the trays to eat and drink. You also remove the trays to brush and floss. Since there are no brackets and wires attached to the teeth, there are no diet restrictions associated with hard and sticky foods.
Convenience
Another reality of braces is that, occasionally, a bracket may come loose or a wire may shift and irritate the inside of your cheek. There are tricks to get around these issues and stay comfortable until your next visit where your orthodontist can fix the problem at the office. You will learn ways to handle these discomforts if they occur once you start treatment. At Care Orthodontics, we are available in the office every day to help take care of any orthodontic emergency for our patients. If you see someone else, you may want to check your orthodontist's availability and emergency policies before the need arises.
With Invisalign, you do not have issues with loose brackets and pokey wires, since you simply don't have them. For working adults who often travel out of town, busy parents who are constantly on the go or students who are away at college and occasionally come home, Invisalign treatment can be a good option since you have more flexibility to the numbers of adjustment and office visits.
Complexity of the Orthodontic Problem
Invisalign works well for some cases but not others. For complex problems that require orthopedic devices to be used in growing kids, braces are the appliance of choice. For surgical cases in adults, braces may be a better option.
Conclusion
If you're considering braces or Invisalign in the San Jose area, schedule a complimentary consultation appointment at Care Orthodontics. Dr. Nancy Phan can advise you as to what will work best for your situation. Dr. Phan can treat most patients with braces or Invisalign. Weigh the pros and cons of your options, then decide which treatment option is best suited for your life.
